


A Sad Kiss

by AvidReaderOfAll



Series: A Collection of Kisses [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Aeducan Got to Flirt with Gorim, Bioware Let Cousland Love Ser Gilmore, Dragon Age: Origins Quest - Howe Treachery, F/M, Feelings About Origins in 2020? It's More Likely Than You Think, Human Noble (Dragon Age) Origin, I Definitely Wrote This For Me, Like Bioware Can't Give Me Ser Sexy and Not Have Me Fall In Love With Him, Warrior Female Cousland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:47:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26642440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvidReaderOfAll/pseuds/AvidReaderOfAll
Summary: She loses everything in the siege.
Relationships: Cousland/Roderick Gilmore, Female Cousland/Roderick Gilmore
Series: A Collection of Kisses [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1917481
Kudos: 6





	A Sad Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> I can't remember the first place that I saw Ser Gilmore's nickname as "Rory" but I love it.

The smoke was starting to choke her. 

It clung to her hair, to her clothes, to her skin worse than the blood. Her lungs felt tightly compressed into her chest plate as she ran down the halls of her burning home with her mother. Oriana: Dead. Oren: Dead. Lady Landra: Dead. Dairren: Dead. Iona: Dead. Aldous: Dead. Nan: Dead. Father: Missing. Fergus: Away. Ser Gilmore… Ser Gilmore… She felt her breath catch in her throat as she fought back tears. She couldn’t break down. Not now. 

Ser Gilmore: Missing. 

Her mabari nudged against her side as she reclaimed her footing. They were so close to the main hall. She shifted the weight of the Cousland family sword and the Shield of Highever on her arms and pressed through. Her mother followed, nocking another arrow as they rounded the corner, her face blank. 

Once at the door to the main hall, she didn’t hesitate, barreling into the door and throwing herself into the fray within. Howe’s men might have them outnumbered, but this was her _home_. She knew exactly where the blind spots were, which columns to hide behind, how the rug bunched up in the middle to trip you. One of the first things her parents ever taught her was how to defend herself in any situation. Mostly they wanted her to hide, to get away from anything that would endanger her life. But they also knew that fleeing wasn’t always possible. 

And so she fought.

She flew around the room, dodging arrows and men who thought they could take everything from her. What they weren’t expecting was for the proper Teyrn’s daughter to fight dirty. She hauled herself back and kicked a man in the crotch as she brought her family’s shield down on his face before slitting his neck. She could feel her dog at her side, protecting her flank. She saw her mother loosing arrow after arrow from her vantage point around a column. She could see Ser Gilmore - alive! - taking his sword out of one of Howe’s soldiers as he deflected another. 

When the last soldier fell, she felt her mother’s hands on her, brushing her loose hair out of her face and checking for injuries. 

“Go! Man the gate! Keep those bastards out as long as you can!” Ser Gilmore stood in the middle of the room as his remaining men scrambled for the doors. He turned and caught her eye. “Your Ladyship! My Lady! You’re both alive! I was certain Howe’s men had gotten through!” 

Her chest loosened. Alive. He was alive. 

“Have you seen my father?” She asked, sheathing her sword. 

“He was looking for you two. He told us to hold the hall as long as possible. When I realized what was happening, it was all I could do to shut the gates. But they won’t keep Howe’s men out for long!” Ser Gilmore looked at her, his eyes wet. “If you have another way out of the castle use it quickly.”

“Come with us!” Her voice sounded weak to her own ears.

Ser Gilmore gave her a small smile. “If I do that, you won’t make it out before the gates fall. Please, go while you still have the chance!” 

“Roderick … Rory, no.” She felt tears well up in her eyes. He was going to die. “Come with us! Please, please come with us. We’ll all get out if we go now!” 

He stepped forward, cupping her cheek and wiping away a spot of blood with his thumb. She grabbed his hand and pressed it to her. 

“My Lady, you must go now.” He looked down at her, tipping her head up. “I can’t let you die.”

“And I can’t let you die! Stop arguing with me and let us go!” 

He pressed his thumb to the side of her lips. “I have to stay here. To protect you. Please, go with your mother.” 

“You are sworn to protect me, yes. So come protect me by my side!” She felt her fingernails dig into his skin as she blinked away tears. “Please Rory, don’t do this. I can’t lose you.”

She pressed their foreheads together as she let out a sob. The tears couldn’t be held back. He was going to die trying to save her. They were going to lose each other. 

“My Lady … please. We are wasting time. Go. Go now, please. I need you alive.”

Letting out another sob, she pulled him down for a kiss, tasting his tears. Their last kiss. Maker, she loved him so much. How was she going to let him go? How was she supposed to survive this without him? 

She didn’t want to think anymore. She didn’t want to be here. She wanted to be back in her room, tucked away under her blankets and dog, with Rory curled up behind her, running his hands up and down her arm. She wanted their stolen kisses in the hallways, how their hands would brush and linger during training. She wanted to catch his silly expressions from across the room as she was forced to dance with yet another minor lord’s son. She wanted … She wanted so much more. She wanted this kiss to never end. 

Yet it did.

His hands were gentle as he pushed himself away from her. She couldn’t open her eyes for a moment, knowing that when she did, this would be the last time she would ever see him. 

“I love you so much, my Lady.” She stifled a sob as his thumbs brushed her face. “I love you so much.”

  
  


~*~

  
  


Standing outside her burning home with her dog, her bloodied family sword, and a man she barely trusted, Lady Cousland found herself only wanting one thing. 

She wanted Howe’s head.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I like to believe that Lady Cousland X Ser Gilmore was the best/worst kept secret in Highever. To anyone outside the castle, it all looks completely normal - just a Lady and her loyal bodyguard - but to anyone within the castle walls, it is well known how much Lady Cousland and her Knight love each other. 
> 
> And maybe they love each other to the point that the Lady won't accept any marriage offers so her father calls in a favor, knowing that a famed order of legend badly needs recruits...
> 
> Haha, just kidding.
> 
> Unless...?


End file.
